Impatience
by Original Blue
Summary: Konohamaru/Moegi. Moegi is officially sick of waiting for Konohamaru to come around. What's a kunoichi to do? Shannaro!
1. Innuendos

**Impatience**

**by Original Blue**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**––––––––––**

**I is for Innuendos, or lack thereof.**

––––––––––

The evening of June eighth was surprisingly cool as student and teacher strolled down the silent streets of Konoha. They were lost in their own private worlds.

As they passed under a streetlight, the girl waved at a friend who was watching his parents' market stall. The male jounin who accompanied her dug hastily in his pocket for a packet of long awaited cigarettes and smiled. "That was a great party, Moegi. Thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome." She sighed and crossed her arms. She could feel goosebumps forming and was thankful they were nearing her apartment.

Nara Shikamaru lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "Well you're really... depressed for someone who just turned eighteen. It's troublesome." He stuffed the lighter into his kunai pouch.

Wincing, Mo watched him blow smoke through his nose. "I'm not really in the mood to talk about it, Shika–sensei." _Is that even sanitary?_

"I can see that. What happened?"

"Nothing." _If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up, Shika–sensei._

"Something." _If I knew what was good for me, I wouldn't have taken over a chunin team from Ebisu._

"I'm not speaking about this." She crossed her arms in the hope that the gesture would dispel his curiosity.

Shika sighed. "I'll get it out of you eventually."

Her chin went up defiantly. "That's then. This is now."

"So what happened?" He shoved the pack of cigarettes into his pocket. "It takes a lot to get you worked up like this."

"If you were as smart as you think you are, you wouldn't need to ask."

"Was it Konohamaru?"

Moegi swallowed and raised a pale eyebrow. "What?"

Shika yawned, eyes trained on the empty sky above them. "He was practically drooling over Hanabi tonight. And I know you like him." He glanced at the youngest member of the chunin squad.

"I–I don't like him!" The tattoos on her cheeks barely hid her rising blush.

"So you admit that he's what's bothering you. Well, I'd be bothered too if Temari started making sheep's eyes at Kiba, _especially_ at my birthday party." He took another deep breath of smoke as they passed under another streetlight.

"I'm not mad at Konohamaru!" She bit her lip in anger, knowing that her vehement defense only made her seem guilty. "Besides, you and Temari are married! And she doesn't like you to smoke," she added belatedly.

A wry smile twisted Shikamaru's lips. "I know she doesn't. So are you mad at Hanabi, then? She could hardly help him looking at her." He took one last drag from his cigarette and dropped it, smashing it with one navy blue sandal.

"I'm not mad at Hanabi, either!"

"...then who are you mad at?"

Silence reigned for a long moment.

_How could I have been so stupid as to talk to him about this? Shikamaru's just doing his psychoanalysis thing on me!_ She felt her expression darken. _Am I that obvious?_

They had reached the apartment Moegi shared with her teammates. The shrubbery next to the door was dented from Udon's nightly trips out his window for ANBU missions and there was a strange acid stain from one of Konohamaru's failed attempts at creating poisons.

Moegi felt the tears prickling in the corners of her eyes and bit her cheek to keep her expression neutral.

"I'm not mad at anyone, okay?"

_Just let me hash this out on my own. There are some things I can't say to you, Shika–sensei._

Shikamaru looked at her sadly for a second. Then he turned away, leaving her frustrated and forlorn on her doorstep.

...

_How many nights do you spend awake_

_(and wondering and wide–eyed with muffled panic )_

_of loneliness and tears,_

_of worrying and fears,_

_of not knowing if you'll wake up_

_or if your world will end?_

_When someone tells you the news_

_(when he doesn't make it back)_

_that he wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough_

_(he wasn't enough)_

_that you waited too long_

_(and now there's no one to wait for you)._

...

Shinobi and civilians alike gathered to bid Team 7 farewell at the village's main gate. The old Team Ebisu was at the forefront, cheering and waving until the trio was out of sight.

Konohamaru grinned at his 'older brother,' who would be Hokage in a few years. Udon just stared after Sasuke, memorizing his posture for future reference.

Moegi was crying; it would be a year before they returned from border duty, and lately Sakura had been like a mentor and sister in everything from training to hair products. "Be careful!" she shouted after them, and she could have sworn she saw a short, red–clad figure waving enthusiastically.

She cupped her hands to her mouth. "Do your best, Sakura! We're counting on you!" Moegi pumped a fist in the air. "Shannaro!"

...

Moegi woke up on a weekend and steeled herself. Today was the day she admitted something she'd denied for years. Today. Today she would tell him.

_I love you, Konohamaru._

She dressed and made her way to the marketplace, keeping an eye out for a teal scarf. Before she knew it he was behind her, slinging an arm around her shoulders and talking at the top of his lungs.

"Hey Mo! Wanna grab some ramen at Ichiraku's, my treat?" Although his smile was for her, his gaze followed a pretty kunoichi dressed in blue who winked at him as she passed.

"It's kind of hard for me to talk when you have me in a headlock, Sarutobi Konohamaru."

_Look at me._

"That's my name, don't wear it out. What's up?" The woman was buying kunai from a weapons dealer and had taken off the heavy jacket that hid her shoulders from view. She caught Konohamaru's look and gave a sly smile.

Moegi ground her teeth. "I'm going to be honest with you."

_Just look at me already..._

Her hands balled into fists.

"Huh?" He was barely even paying attention. She grabbed a hold of his scarf and yanked his taller form down to look at her; even then his eyes flickered away from her face.

"I love you."

"..."

Moegi let go of his scarf, searching for acceptance or rejection.

_LOOK AT ME!_

"I know I've never said this before, but I realized you had a right to know before either of us got killed on some stupid mission, and I'd never had a chance to say it, so..." She trailed off, fighting the urge to twist her fingers together nervously.

_Don't hate me..._

A grin spread across Konohamaru's face. "Wait a sec, Mo. Let's back up. How'd we get from ramen to declarations of love?"

_Stop being an idiot._

"I love you."

The grin faltered slightly. "Like a brother, right?"

She struggled not to raise her voice, knowing they were in full view of the public. "Konohamaru, I love you."

_Listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth!_

His eyes narrowed in a frown. "Is this some sort of joke? It's not very funny."

"Dammit, Konohamaru!" She stared at him, furious. It wasn't even like she was being subtle! He was either willfully ignoring her, or he was an even bigger idiot than she'd ever thought. "What is your problem?"

Konohamaru blinked slowly and smiled, trying to find the jest. "Does this mean you don't want ramen?"

_SHUT. UP._

Her palm hit his face before he knew what was happening, and Moegi stalked away from his stunned form and rapidly reddening cheek, trembling with humiliation and barely checked rage.

––––––––––

**I is for Innuendos, or lack thereof.**

––––––––––

**Author's Note:**

**I'm writing this because there's not enough decent Konohamaru/Moegi fanfiction around. And because the pairing is so freaking cute! It's like the alternate ship for NaruSaku fans who won't get what they want.**


	2. Misgivings

**Impatience**

**by Original Blue**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**––––––––––**

**M is for Misgivings, or lack thereof.**

**––––––––––**

He was taking some time off from missions, she heard. Three days had gone by and not a single word had passed between them in anger or otherwise. Moegi had stopped showing up for team meetings at Ichiraku and instead applied for solo missions at the assignment office.

She decided to take a few days off to restock her weapons supply and look for a new apartment; too often she found some familiar article of clothing in the house she shared with her team, and it made her angry and sad all over again. She told Udon she was moving out, thankful she didn't have to deal with Konohamaru early in the morning.

At around seven, after a quick shower, when her hair was still sopping around her shoulders, she began sharpening her kunai and shuriken. She was just getting started on the few senbon she kept for emergencies when Konohamaru walked into the kitchen, looking wonderfully mussed after a few hours of training.

In her surprise she snapped one needle and dipped the next one in poison, trying desperately to keep a lid on her temper. Imagining all the ways she could disembowel him without having to look him in the eye, she distracted herself with the sharp tools. She made no attempts at conversation, and he walked into his room in silence.

...

_Best friends_

_(closer than blood)_

_who can't say anything_

_(but want to say so much)_

_and don't know what to say_

_(though the air is thick with silence)_

_when the tension will not snap_

_(when there's no reason, no excuse)_

_and pauses will remain pregnant_

_because of stupid, arrogant, selfish friends_

_and silent, merciless, prideful lovers._

...

The bridge at night was a good place for them to meet, especially since Konohamaru's face was still bruised black and green from Moegi's well placed slap; the doctor said the light sensitivity in his left eye would fade with the bruising.

Udon did a handstand on the railing to pass the time. "So what are you and Mo fighting about? It's obviously the reason she's moving out."

"I messed up, Udon. I messed up really bad. Mo told me she loved me, and I... I treated it like a joke. She won't even look at me anymore. I don't know how to make it right again." He hung his head over the railing, staring at the swirling water. "I hate it when she's mad at me," he whispered.

Udon sounded wry. "You could start by apologizing."

The remark was met with a snort. "That's great. What'll I tell her: 'I'm sorry that I'm not in love with you, but I hope we can still be best friends'? I don't have a death wish." He picked a sliver of wood out of the railing and flicked it into the river.

"Tell her you're sorry you're causing her pain. You didn't choose who you fell in love with."

"But then I think she'll only ever see Hanabi as a threat... I want them to be friends."

Udon sighed almost imperceptibly. "You picked a hard path. Either way, you have to talk to her at some point. She and I are leaving for our next mission to Lightning in two weeks; it's supposed to last a month." He made a face. "This could get worse if you let it sit. I don't want to get the cold–shoulder–by–association for four weeks."

"I just hope she doesn't drag me into a dark alley and murder me before then," Konohamaru muttered.

That earned him a smirk. "Come on, Maru. Do you really think she'd do that?"

"...when I walked by her this morning she started dipping her senbon in poison powder."

"Okay, I see your point."

...

"Oi, Shika–sensei." He flopped down on the roof beside his mentor.

"What do you want, Konohamaru? I'm busy. And you only ever call me Sensei when you want something." Shikamaru smothered a yawn with his hand.

Konohamaru snorted. "You're too lazy for a tactician. They're just clouds, and I need your help with something."

"If your problem is work related, go bother someone else. It's my day off, and I intend to enjoy it."

"I need help with Moegi." He flexed a fist nervously. "She won't even talk to me."

That got a sigh from the elder shinobi. "You two have been arguing again."

Konohamaru fidgeted. "She told me that she's in love with me, right out of the blue."

"Konohamaru, I hate to break this to you, but it wasn't exactly out of the blue."

"What do you mean?"

"She's probably loved you for years and never said anything."

"Stop joking around, Sensei; this is serious! I need to know what to do so that she won't skin me the next time I'm in a room alone with her!"

"Since you won't listen to me, I'll just say this: I'm not sure what you should do other than try to talk it out with her."

Konohamaru stared. "...does everyone want me to die young?"

"Konohamaru, you need to hear this: don't take her for granted." Shikamaru finally sat up, rubbing his eyes against the sunlight's glare. "If you don't work this out now, you might lose her friendship forever."

That earned the ANBU captain a doubtful look. "I think you're full of it. You obviously know a better way out of this, and you're trying to stall."

"Perceptive as ever, I see. I do know a better way out. But a relationship can't be one–sided, and a relationship is the only other way out. Don't make the same mistake Asuma almost made. Don't wait until it's too late to tell someone you love them. Don't reject love because it doesn't take the form you expected."

"Are you speaking from personal experience?"

"Ask any of the Konoha Eleven; I almost lost Temari once, when I was twenty–one. She confessed to me, but I was hung up over Shiho."

"You mean Akimichi–sensei?"

"Yep. She was a code breaker for the Hokage, and I was too impressed with her intelligence to notice that she had the hots for Choji."

"But you and Temari are together now."

"And I couldn't be happier. If Shiho and I had gotten married or something, we'd both be miserable or unfaithful at this point." He smiled wryly. "God, the mistakes we almost made..."

If anything, Konohamaru was even more confused by his teacher's advice. "So you're saying I should get over Hanabi because she's probably in love with my best friend?"

Shika sighed. "You're troublesome. I'm saying if you don't stop bothering me and figure out how to apologize to Moegi right now, I'll tell Kurenai where your Icha Icha Paradise collection is."

Shikamaru was not one for idle threats, and his student knew it. "Gotta run, Sensei!"

Shika stood and stretched, finally alone again on the roof. "Thank Kami I don't have kids yet..."

**––––––––––**

**M is for Misgivings, or lack thereof.**

**––––––––––**

**Author's Note:**

**Did anyone catch that last reference? Temari's gonna have his baby! [More information about Shikatema in my story 'Motivation.'] I know that Shika can't wait for the responsibility and hard work that goes with being a father... =D**


	3. Patience

**Impatience**

**by Original Blue**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**––––––––––**

**P is for Patience, or lack thereof.**

**––––––––––**

This time around Konohamaru was even more depressed.

Udon was stoic as he explained the situation. Then he said, "So Shika–sensei told you Hanabi was in love with me?"

"Well, not in so many words... but do you think he's right?"

"I think Shika–sensei fell in love with the devil and now feels it's his duty to make others miserable. But I agree that you and Mo need to come to some agreement that doesn't involve mutual failure to acknowledge the other's existence."

"Moegi's not going to talk to me unless you help. Wait a minute... Udon! I need you to invite her to the Solstice Festival in a couple of days!"

"Why and how? I don't feel the need to be mocked in public, and I'm never alone with her except on missions."

"Come on, right now you owe me three hundred ryuu from poker. And are you a ninja or not?"

...

_Why would you ask someone else_

_–anyone else?–_

_to get in our way_

_(when we're so tangled up already)_

_when all we're trying to do_

_(is solve each other)_

_is keep living?_

_Why would you invite someone else_

_(to put their heart at risk)_

_to be a mediator_

_when all we need_

_ (is some time)_

_to talk_

_and to breathe?_

...

"Udon. Who put you up to this?" _Why do I bother asking when I know it's Konohamaru..._

"W–What are you talking about?"

She glared at him through his darkened lenses. "You wouldn't ask me out unless you were being paid to or it was a bet."

"That's not true!"

"Alright, maybe not being paid to – you're too nice for that. So who was the bet with?"

_I'll kill him..._

"There was no bet, Mo!"

_...slowly..._

"Udon, you're the worst liar I know. You're hiding something from me."

"No, I'm not! I just figured you'd want an escort to the festival, since you just turned 18."

"..."

"I–I mean, if you don't want to go, then I'll just–"

"I'll go. But only if you promise to dance one dance with me." _Maybe Konohamaru won't be there._

"...all right."

_I might be okay if he's not there._

...

"Is she coming?"

"Yes. But I have to warn you, Maru: she's on the warpath. You better prepare some serious groveling if you even want her to look at you tonight."

"Why would I want her to look at me?

"Wait until you see what she's wearing."

"Don't tell me she's wearing a dress."

"Not for long if some of those ANBU have their way."

"But what color is it? Won't it clash with her hair?"

"Hey, if Sakura can pull off pink, then Moegi will look like a goddess."

"But Sakura's so... Sakura!"

"And Moegi is Moegi. Just wait."

...

"Ino?"

"What, Moegi?"

"Are you sure this dress was a good idea? Isn't it a little... short?"

"Not at all. And of course it was a good idea; I picked it out, didn't I?"

"I'm just wondering if it looked better on the rack."

"Moegi, the guys here only care about how good it looks on _your_ rack."

"Ino!"

"Calm down, silly. You look amazing. If you'd only let me cut your hair..."

"Don't even think about it!"

"Alright, I'm not."

"These guys are probably all unconsciously comparing me to their girlfriends..."

"And you'll win flat out, every time. Come on. Let's go find our dates."

"Is Sai here?"

"Of course, and better dressed than anyone else. Now let's look for Udon... ah! There he is, next to Konohamaru. HEY, KONOHAMARU, UDON! COME OVER HERE!"

"Ino! What are you doing? I don't want to talk to Maru!"

"Well too bad, I need someone to dance with until my hubby finds us. Here they come..."

**––––––––––**

**P is for Patience, or lack thereof.**

**––––––––––**

**Author's Note:**

**Everyone knows Konohamaru has a secret fetish for Moegi's hair.**


	4. Awkwardness

**Impatience**

**by Original Blue**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**––––––––––**

**A is for Awkwardness, or lack thereof.**

––––––––––

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Is that really Moegi? It's not a henge?" Konohamaru's eyes were wide.

Udon smirked. "Yeah. I told you, didn't I?"

"But that dress..." He swallowed.

"Don't you know that Ino loves little black dresses? I thought the gold swirls were inspired myself. I'll have to go over there in a minute since I'm Mo's escort; you can use that as a chance to talk to her."

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait–?"

A sour look crossed Udon's face. "Sarutobi Konohamaru, you already owe me since I'm at this pointless festival _and_ I promised to dance with Mo. Do not make me beat several levels of hell out of you in front of the whole village."

"You couldn't if you tried!"

"Don't be so defensive. Oh – Ino's calling us. Come on, Mr. Coward; time to test your mettle."

...

Blushing, Udon accepted Ino's offer of a dance, leaving the two awkwardly behind.

Moegi spoke first, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "We need to talk."

"I agree."

"Right now, Konohamaru."

"Moegi–"

"Just stop it. I have to say this, so listen for once. I don't care if you don't love me. I just need to know that I have your support as a friend. I need your strength."

"..."

"..."

"What do you want from me?"

"Just... just tell me that everything will be okay."

"I don't know if I can do that."

...

_So much for having and holding,_

_and loving and cherishing,_

'_till beyond death do us part_

_(because friends of the heart last forever)._

_When every time I see you_

_(and those awful, lovely eyes)_

_I can't help but cry_

_(sobbing loudly, eyes red–rimmed and swollen)_

_for what we had_

_(and what we lost)_

_and why._

...

"Ino, I need your help."

"What again?"

"I wanted to ask Hinata–chan, but she's been kind of gloomy since Naruto left and..."

"...and, what?"

"Well, I'm not on the best terms with Hanabi right now."

"Oh come here, you poor thing."

Moegi didn't even realize she was crying until Ino wiped away the wetness with a cool cloth and pulled her into a hug.

"You miss Sakura, don't you? Well we can always send her letters. They get there eventually."

Moegi pulled back with a smile. "It's not that. Yes, I do miss Sakura... but right now I need help to stop some pain."

Ino raised a perfectly plucked blonde eyebrow. "I'm a pretty good healer, I'll admit, but maybe Shizune should–"

"Not that kind of pain." She looked down, eyes hooded by sunset colored lashes. "I–I need to get over someone."

Ino just looked at her for a moment, her eyes sad. "I'm sorry you have to know what that kind of pain feels like." She glanced away, biting her lip, then brightened suddenly. "I've got it! You can get a job! Get off the roster for a while, meet some civilians. You'd be surprised how nice life is when you're not spending it cutting people up."

Ino guided her into the back room of the shop. "You can work here, if you want. I need an assistant now that–" She stopped, lips suddenly locked and eyes wider.

"Now that...?" Moegi prompted quietly.

The Yamanaka woman spun around. _Spun._ Moegi had never seen someone move that fast without chakra. "You can't breathe a word about this to anyone. Anyone, you understand!"

Moegi nodded, getting worried. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Ino sighed and sat down on the loveseat, hugging a pillow. "I'm pregnant."

"OhmygoshyouandSaiarehavinga–" Mo's words slurred together in her haste.

"Ssshhh!" Ino clapped a hand over her mouth and said. "Be quiet! The baby's not... well... the baby's not Sai's."

That begged a question. "Then who...?"

"It's Choji's." The pained look on Ino's face made Moegi's heart wrench. "But I'll never be able to tell Sai. Or Choji. What if someone used a jutsu to get into their mind? It would be everywhere... and I don't want to hurt any more people."

Moegi sighed and covered the blonde's hands with her own. "It's alright, Ino. Your secret is safe within these thick walls." She tapped her skull with her knuckles.

Ino chuckled. "I guess it won't be so bad. I mean once Forehead gets home, we can talk about who the father of _her_ kids will be."

Catching Moegi's puzzled expression, she explained, "Sakura's doing double-time with Sasuke and Naruto.

Moegi barely stopped her palm from slapping her forehead.

––––––––––

**A is for Awkwardness, or lack thereof.**

––––––––––

**Author's Note:**

**SasuNaruSaku. The end to the shipping wars. =D**


	5. Temerity

**Impatience**

**by Original Blue**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**––––––––––**

**T is for Temerity, or lack thereof.**

––––––––––

There was a jingle as the shop door opened.

"This is the Yamanaka Flower Shop?"

"Hai," Moegi said in a bored voice, not bothering to glance up from her magazine.

"You are Moegi, chunin level kunoichi?"

Now she glanced up. An ANBU messenger stood in the doorway, long robe made darker by the bright lights surrounding it. "You are required on a mission."

"I'm not on the register right now," she began, her heart speeding up.

"Nevertheless, you have been assigned a mission by the Godaime."

"But I'm in the middle of my shift!"

"It was not a request. It was an order."

Sighing gustily, Moegi accepted the mission scroll and read it through. Then she looked up at the ANBU man and nodded sharply, all business. "Please tell the Godaime that I will complete this mission."

...

Konohamaru answered the door wearing pajama bottoms and a grey wife–beater, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Udon, stop ringing the doorbell so late at night; why are you here? Did you finish your mission early?"

"Konohamaru! It's Moegi!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"She's at the hospital right now; Tsunade has been called in to help Shizune."

"Tsunade! How bad is Moegi?"

"They're not sure what the extent of her injuries it. She's in critical condition."

"..."

"Listen, Maru, if there's anything they can do, I'm sure they'll–"

But Konohamaru was already flitting over the rooftops. Udon sighed and followed.

...

_What would I do_

_(what could I do?)_

_when you ran off to war_

_(to protect what you love)_

_to serve your country_

_amid all the chaos_

_and you didn't wait_

_(you had to go)_

_but I was too late_

_to give you the armor_

_made of my strength_

_and support?_

...

"Mo!" he said softly, trying not to wake the patient she shared the room with.

The orange haired girl stirred slightly. "...Maru..." she muttered, still mostly asleep.

"Can you hear me, Moegi? Moegi?"

She fought to open her eyes, aware that every inch of her body was covered in bandages. "I can hear you... what happened...?"

He was furious with her and scared to death at the same time. "You fought your way out of an S–class nukenin hideout in Kumo and then used up too much energy healing people! What kind of idiot are you?" He wanted to grab her and shake her.

It was all coming back to her now. The confession, the fight with Konohamaru, moving out, taking the mission... She kept her silence. He shouldn't be in here at all. Why had the nurse let him in?

"Mo..." he said quietly. "Mo, don't go back to sleep."

She raised an eyebrow at him, her mouth a tight line.

"Moegi, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you..."

"It doesn't matter," she said coldly.

He wanted to cut out his own tongue so he could stop making things worse. "I still shouldn't have said it."

She turned her head to look at the clear sky outside the hospital window. "Be that as it may, I was supposed to follow protocol and kill the nukenin before getting the people out." She bit the inside of her cheek.

Konohamaru nodded. "The Hokage understands that–"

"I would do it my way every time." Now she caught his gaze squarely, and it made him angry.

Why was she still fighting, even lying in a hospital bed, close enough to death to reach out and taste it? "That sounds like treason."

"It's a matter of morals." _The fact that I have some, and you apparently have none,_ she thought with grim satisfaction. "People are important."

"But your orders were to kill the defectors," he protested, aware that their argument wasn't really about the stupid mission.

Moegi curled one of her hands into a fist, aware of the sudden screaming pain in her arm. "And my mission was to save the prisoners. I was not about to abandon those people because there was some more blood that needed letting."

They sat in silence for a while before Moegi spoke again.

"27," she said.

"What?" Konohamaru began to worry again. Was her fever coming back? Was she spouting random words?

"That's how many people we got out. That's how many families won't be attending funerals. That's how many names they can keep in the village registry because we did what was necessary first. You keep your rules and I'll keep my humanity." She turned her headband over in her hands, letting her fingers pass over the leaf symbol.

"But–"

Her dark eyes cut to his. "Just go, Konohamaru."

"Moegi, I–"

He looked at her again, and this time he saw fury in her eyes.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

––––––––––

**T is for Temerity, or lack thereof.**

––––––––––

**Author's Note:**

**Just so no one is confused, I have two notes today:**

**1. This is a companion story to Motivation. So there will be certain plot parallels between characters, including mentions of "Mothers," those terrifying forces of nature from which we all spring. Not to mention the whole 'letters of the title turned to chapter titles' thing.**

**2. This is also a re–edit of the story. The first one was complete crap and thrown together in a couple hours, with no real plot or dedication to quality. I am now rewriting it.**


End file.
